Alabama's Henry Ruggs runs 4.27 in 40-yard dash, short of John Ross' record

INDIANAPOLIS — Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III ran the 40-yard dash in 4.27 seconds on Thursday evening at the NFL scouting combine, a blazing speed that topped the field at Lucas Oil Stadium but fell short of the all-time mark of 4.22 seconds, set in 2017 by the University of Washington’s John Ross III.

If recent history is any indication, Ruggs — who checked in at 5-foot-11 and 188 pounds earlier in the week — might see his draft stock get a boost thanks to his time. Ross went on to be the ninth overall selection by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017 after setting the combine record.

“He’s the closest thing to Tyreek Hill that I’ve seen, since Tyreek Hill entered the league,” NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said in a recent conference call. “And just looked like he’s been on a different speed than everybody else. This kid does the same thing. He’s so sudden off the line of scrimmage. It’s instant death for corners.”

Since 2003, 10 players have cracked 4.29 or faster in the 40-yard dash. Of those 10, only Ross and running back Chris Johnson — whose time of 4.24 in 2008 was toppled by Ross three years ago — have come under the 4.25 barrier.

“I’ve been running since I was little,” Ruggs said. “When I first started to play football, my dad used to take me to run hills and stairs on game day. That was at the age of 9 or 10, that’s when it started. From there, I’ve just been running all the time. I love working out on my legs, so anything with legs, I’m all for.”